U of C Dinos to face UBC Thunderbirds for Hardy Cup 2016

University of Calgary Dinos football team defeated the Saskatchewan Huskies to move onto Hardy Cup Finals.

By Maxwell Mawji, Capture Candy

When last they faced, the Saskatchewan Huskies defaced the Dinos’ near-perfect season by nearly defeating Dinos 38-35.

If the Dinos had any hesitation about Saturday’s rematch, they certainly didn’t show it.

The game was the third time the Huskies and Dinos met during the season, and the Dinos met the challenge by giving their best performance of the year, dominating the Huskies 47-17 at McMahon Stadium.

“They played tough and it was physical and we had a couple big plays go our way,” said Dinos head coach Wayne Harris during an interview after the game.

“I think it was still a pretty tough game today. I never count any team out.”

During the opening moments of third quarter, the Dinos made their moves, scoring two touchdowns and gaining two safeties in only seven minutes. The charge brought a commanding lead to the Dinos, making the score 33-8 in the opening minutes coming out of halftime.

By then, the game felt like forgone conclusion, with the Dinos seemingly making every right move and the Huskies failing to gain traction in comeback avenue.

The history with the Huskies has been less than stellar, showing a narrow win, 20-19, during an encounter on Sep. 16 and a much felt defeat, 38-35, at McMahon Stadium just two weeks ago.

Highlights of Saturday’s game were a stunning 94-yard touchdown during a kickoff return by returner Denzel Radford and Connor McGrough, defensive lineman, added four tackles and a touch down to his season.

Dinos Back Up Quarterback Starts First

While the entire team had a good showing, a special mention should be given to the Saturdays standout performance by Dinos quarterback Adam Sinagra. This was the Sinagra’s first as the Dinos starter quarterback, which comes after No. 1 Jimmy Underdahl went down due to a knee injury a week ago.

Looking confident, Sinagra threw a total of 271 yards encompassing three touchdowns.

On to the Hardy Cup

Going forward, the Dinos team will be playing the UBC thunderbirds for the Canada West championship game: The Hardy Cup.

The past two years have seen the Dinos team fly though the season, just to lose in the finals. The coveted cup is always just out of reach. Previous iteration of the team has boasted football stars such as Mercer Timmis and Andrew Buckley, the latter of which was signed to the CFL Calgary Stampeders. While this year’s team is lacking some serious star power, they have remained consistent throughout the season, seemingly spike at the right moment.

The upcoming match mirrors that of last year, where the Dinos were defeated by the UBC Thunderbirds at the championship game.

The defeat came as a huge upset, and one the Dinos avenged during their last two encounters with the Thunderbirds.

If the Dinos history teaches anything, it is that a strong season doesn’t solidify an endgame.

The Dinos will need more than the momentum of their last win if they look to take the Hardy Cup on Saturday, Nov. 12 at McMahon Stadium.

University of Calgary Dinos quarterback Adam Sinagra is off to the Hardy Cup Finals after a dominating performance against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies during football action at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. The Dinos finished the semifinal game 47-17 with Sinagra throwing three touchdowns and 271 yards. (Photo by Maxwell Mawji/ www.CaptureCandy.com)

UBC Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill, centre, celebrates with his team as the 79th Hardy Cup game against the U of C Dinos finishes at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta., on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. The UBC Thunderbirds took the Canada West Universities Athletic Association Football Conference championship game 34-26. Before he coached the UBC Thunderbirds, Nill was the head coach of the U of C Dinos, where he led the Dinos to three Vanier Cup games (2009, 2010 & 2013) and six straight Hardy Cup Championships (2008-13). (Photo by Maxwell Mawji/ www.CaptureCandy.com)